Chrysanthemum plant named &#39;Desire Time&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new variety of  Chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Desire Time’, having red single flowers with a lime green disc. The new variety has a strong medium to tall vigor with a good foliage presentation.

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/703,360, filed Jul. 28, 2005.

LATIN NAME OF THE GENUS AND SPECIES

Botanical classification: Chrysanthemum morifolium.

VARIETY DENOMINATION

The new Chrysanthemum variety denomination is ‘Desire Time’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum botanically known as Chrysanthemum morifolium, and referred to by the cultivar name ‘Desire Time’.

‘Desire Time’, identified as 21892-0 originated from a cross made in a controlled breeding program in Chichester, West Sussex, United Kingdom.

The female parent of the new variety is an undistributed, unpatented seedling identified as 20807-0 and the male parent is undistributed, unpatented seedling identified as 20846-0. The new variety ‘Desire Time’ has been asexually reproduced by vegetative cuttings in Chichester, West Sussex, United Kingdom and the distinguishing characteristics are retained through successive generations of asexual reproduction.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

‘Desire Time’ is a pot type of Chrysanthemum plant variety having red single flowers.

Comparison with Female Parent

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum variety ‘Desire Time’ are dissimilar to the female parent 20807-0 in plant habit and growth rate. In side-by-side comparisons in Chichester, West Sussex, United Kingdom, under commercial practice, plants of the new Chrysanthemum variety ‘Desire Time’ differed from plants of the female parent 20807-0 in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. The new variety ‘Desire Time’ produces red single flowers         whereas the female parent 20807-0 produces dark red single         flowers.     -   2. Plants of the new variety ‘Desire Time’ have larger and         taller inflorescence than plants of the female parent 20807-0.     -   3. Plants of the new variety ‘Desire Time’ have darker green         foliage than plants of the female parent 20807-0.

Comparison with Male Parent

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum variety ‘Desire Time’ are dissimilar to the male parent 20846-0 in plant habit and growth rate. In side-by-side comparisons in Chichester, West Sussex, United Kingdom, under commercial practice, plants of the new Chrysanthemum variety ‘Desire Time’ differed from plants of the male parent 20846-0 in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. The new variety ‘Desire Time’ produces red single flowers         whereas the male parent 20846-0 produces purple single flowers.     -   2. Plants of the new variety ‘Desire Time’ have smaller and         shorter inflorescence than plants of the male parent 20846-0.

Comparison with ‘Vulcan Time’

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum variety ‘Desire Time’ are dissimilar to plants of the variety ‘Vulcan Time’ (U.S. Plant Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0009809) in plant habit and growth rate. However, in side-by-side comparisons in Chichester, West Sussex, United Kingdom, under commercial practice, plants of the new Chrysanthemum variety ‘Desire Time’ differed from plants of ‘Vulcan Time’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. The new variety ‘Desire Time’ produces medium size red single         flowers whereas ‘Vulcan Time’ produces large red single flowers.     -   2. Plants of the new variety ‘Desire Time’ have smaller and         shorter inflorescence than plants of ‘Vulcan Time’.     -   3. Plants of the new variety ‘Desire Time’ have a quicker         response time when compared to the plants of ‘Vulcan Time’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Typical specimens of the plant and flowers for the new Chrysanthemum variety ‘Desire Time’ are shown in the accompanying photograph. The colors shown are as true as possible within the usual limits of this kind of illustration.

FIG. 1 is a whole plant view of the new variety ‘Desire Time’ grown in a pot. The plant shown in the illustration is 56 days from the onset of Short Days.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following description of the new Chrysanthemum variety ‘Desire Time’ is of plants grown in a greenhouse in Chichester, West Sussex, United Kingdom, in the month of August. The cultivar has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary significantly with variations in the environment such as temperature, length of day and light intensity, without any variance in genotype. The commercial classification of the- new variety is a pot Chrysanthemum.

Plants of the new variety have been grown successfully under temperature conditions averaging about 19° C. at night and about 17° C. to 24° C. during the day under light conditions of about 2,500 Lux. The plants respond well to the use of growth retardant, such as one B9 treatment at about 2 grams per liter. To produce a commercial product, the plants may be pinched once with the center bud removed. The typical container size for commercial growth is 1 liter. It has been observed that the shelf life of the new variety is about 28 days with a response time of about 7.5 weeks. The new variety is suitable for growth in a temperature range of 15° C. to 25° C.

The following description is with respect to a plant produced as pot Chrysanthemum. In the description of this new Chrysanthemum variety, color values have been taken from The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart (R.H.S.C.C.).

-   Plant: -   Plant type: Pot -   Habit: Upright and free branching -   Height (cm): 19 -   Width (cm): 25 -   Stem:     -   -   Length (cm).—4.5.         -   Diameter (cm).—0.6.         -   Texture.—Slightly pubescent.         -   Color.—139C. -   Branching characteristics: Upright and free branching -   Lateral branches:     -   -   Length (cm).—10.         -   Diameter (cm).—0.4.         -   Texture.—Slightly pubescent. -   Number of breaks from pinch: 6 -   Response time: 52 days -   Vigor: Medium/Tall -   Shelf life: 28 days -   Life of blooms: 28 days -   Disease (susceptibility/resistance observed): None observed to date. -   Pest (susceptibility/resistance observed): None observed to date. -   Drought and temperature (susceptibility/resistance observed): None     observed to date. -   Growth retardant type and treatment: 3 applications of 2.5 gm/liter     B9 @ 2, 21 and 28 days after sticking unrooted cuttings. The plants     were grown for two weeks in Long Day conditions (20 hours of light)     and then transferred to Short Day conditions (13 hours of dark). -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Vegetative propagation via stem cuttings.         -   Time to rooting.—14 days with soil temperatures of 18° C.         -   Rooting habit.—After 7 Long Days, the first roots emerge and             form root primordia. In 14 Long Days, a complete root system             is developed. -   Foliage: -   Number of leaves per lateral branch: 8 -   Compound or single: Single -   Arrangement of leaves: Alternate     -   -   Shape of leaf.—Typically 5 lobed.         -   Size of leaf.—Width (cm): 5 Length (cm): 9.         -   Leaf apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Obtuse.         -   Attachment.—Petioled.         -   Aspect.—Slightly undulating.         -   Margin.—Palmately lobed.         -   Surface characteristics.—Top: Slightly pubescent Bottom:             Pubescent. -   Petiole:     -   -   Color.—139C.         -   Length (cm).—2.5.         -   Diameter (cm).—0.3.         -   Surface.—slightly pubescent. -   Venation: Net, prominent lateral and mid-veins at underside.     -   -   Color.—upper side: 138B under side: 138B. -   Color:     -   -   Mature leaf, upper side.—137B; under side: 138B.         -   Young leaf, upper side.—137A; under side: 137B. -   Flower: -   Flower appearance: Matte -   Flower type: Single -   Flower form: Slightly cupped -   Flower shape: Circular -   Flowering habit: Cyme -   Number of blossoms per branch: 6 -   Typical and observed flowering season: January to December -   Inflorescence form: Cyme     -   -   Depth of fully expanded blossoms (cm).—0.7.         -   Diameter of fully expanded blossoms (cm).—7. -   Phyllaries:     -   -   Number.—13.         -   Color.—137C.         -   Length (cm).—0.7.         -   Width (cm).—0.2.         -   Texture/appearance.—slightly pubescent. -   Peduncle:     -   -   Length (cm).—11.         -   Diameter (cm).—0.3.         -   Angle from stem (degrees).—15.         -   Color.—137B.         -   Surface.—Slightly pubescent.         -   Habit.—Straight.         -   Strength.—Strong. -   Pedicel:     -   -   Length.—terminal (cm): 3; lateral (cm): 3.5.         -   Diameter (cm).—0.2.         -   Color.—137B.         -   Surface.—Slightly pubescent.         -   Habit.—Straight.         -   Strength.—Strong. -   Ray florets:     -   -   Form/shape.—Straight with parallel edges to the central mid             vein.         -   Texture/appearance.—Matte.         -   Number per flower.—31.         -   Length (cm).—2.5 Width (cm): 0.7.         -   Apex.—Rounded.         -   Base.—Tapered.         -   Margin.—Entire. -   Disc florets:     -   -   Form/shape.—Cylindric.         -   Texture/appearance.—Shiny.         -   Number per flower.—200.         -   Length (cm).—0.6; Width (cm): 0.1.         -   Diameter of disc (cm).—1. -   Fragrance: None -   Flower bud (at onset of color):     -   -   Length (cm).—0.7.         -   Diameter (cm).—1.         -   Form/shape.—Globular. -   General flower color:     -   -   1. Ray florets, upper side.—Immature: 45B Mature: 44A             Older/Fading: Darker than 44B.         -   2. Ray florets, under side.—Immature: 45A Mature: 44C             Older/Fading: 44C.         -   3. Disc florets.—Immature: 144C Mature: 13B Older/Fading:             13B.         -   6. Bud.—45B. -   Flower progression with age: Flower form does not change but there     is a slight color fading with age. -   Reproductive organs: Gynoecium present on Ray and Disc florets. -   Ray florets per individual flower: Pistillate     -   -   Pistil number.—30.         -   Stigma color.—154A.         -   Stigma shape.—Forked.         -   Style color.—154B.         -   Style length (cm).—0.3. -   Disc florets per individual flower: Pistillate     -   -   Pistil number.—200.         -   Stigma color.—154A.         -   Stigma shape.—Forked.         -   Style color.—154B.         -   Style length (cm).—0.3. -   Androecium: Not observed -   Fruit and seeds: None 

1. A new and distinct variety of Chrysanthemum plant, substantially as described and illustrated herein. 